USS MACON CA132

• USS Macon (CA-132) Overview: USS Macon was a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, named after the city of Macon, Georgia. • Commissioning Date: The ship was commissioned on August 26, 1945, just as World War II was ending, and thus missed wartime action. • Construction Site: USS Macon was built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey. • Postwar Service: After her shakedown cruise, Macon served primarily in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, participating in numerous exercises and showing the U.S. flag abroad. • Flagship Role: She served as the flagship for the Commander of the 6th Fleet during several Mediterranean deployments, projecting American influence during the early Cold War. • Operation Mainbrace: In 1952, Macon participated in NATO’s Operation Mainbrace, the first large-scale naval exercise conducted by the alliance, demonstrating growing U.S.-European military cooperation. • Modernization: The ship was temporarily decommissioned in 1950 for modernization, including the installation of improved anti-aircraft defenses and electronics. • Humanitarian Mission: Macon assisted in the evacuation of American citizens and other foreign nationals from the Middle East during the Suez Crisis in 1956. • Decommissioning: The ship was ultimately decommissioned on March 10, 1961, after 16 years of service, and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1969. • Final Fate: USS Macon was sold for scrap in 1973, but artifacts and her memory are preserved in naval records and by veterans' groups.